God's Unchanging Purpose
A Sermon on 2 Timothy 1:12
Originally preached May 17, 1964
Scripture
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on 2 Timothy 1:12 titled “God’s Unchanging Purpose, “ Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that Paul was on the cusp of being executed when he wrote this letter. Yet, as Dr, Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches, Paul wrote confidently because he believed the gospel he had written about. Many today try to extract the blessings of Christianity without committing fully to its doctrine, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that in order to know the blessings of the gospel, one must believe its truth. The gospel starts with God and His process of redemption established before the world began. Dr. Lloyd-Jones instructs that the foundational truth, and what has been called the “watershed moment” of Christianity, is rooted in history — the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By rising again, He fulfilled His promise to His disciples that He would live again, and by sending His Holy Spirit after His ascension, He again kept His promise that they would not be without a helper. This is important because it shows God’s purpose. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks again, “Is your life controlled by the fact that you believe in the purpose of God? Does the gospel mean anything to you?” Those who don’t are living apart from its promises and on track to die without its hope.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon is based on 2 Timothy 1:12 - "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
- The sermon has been preached 6 times previously. It is important to understand the context.
- The letter was written to Timothy who was troubled. Paul was in prison and Timothy was worried about the churches.
- Timothy had a timorous and frightened temperament. Paul tells him this is wrong and to pull himself together spiritually.
- Paul outlines his faith and challenges Timothy. Paul is able to face life and death with equanimity because of his faith.
- The secret to Paul's triumph over life and death is knowing Jesus. This is the message of the Gospel.
- The Gospel is based on history, not ideas. It is about God's actions, not man's ideas.
- The Gospel starts with God, not man. It is about God's purpose and plan.
- Man needs to be saved according to God's purpose. God's purpose is to save man through Jesus.
- Jesus conquered death and brought life and immortality through the Gospel.
- The Holy Spirit was sent to continue God's purpose. The Holy Spirit calls us to God's purpose.
- The Holy Spirit calls us out of darkness into light. Darkness represents spiritual death and ignorance.
- The Holy Spirit reveals God, our sin, our need for salvation, death, judgment and eternity to us.
- The Holy Spirit shows us we cannot save ourselves. We need Jesus.
- When we see we need Jesus and believe in Him, we move from darkness to light. We see life through God's purpose.
Sermon Q&A
What Does the Day of Pentecost Mean for Christians Today? (Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Analysis)
What is the significance of Pentecost according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Pentecost represents a pivotal historical event in God's purpose for salvation. He explains that the day of Pentecost marked "the coming of the Holy Ghost, the third person in the blessed Holy Trinity upon the infant church." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Pentecost is not merely a symbolic event but a historical fact as significant as Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. It represents God's continuing work to fulfill His eternal purpose of salvation by sending the Holy Spirit to apply Christ's completed work to believers.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the Holy Spirit's work of "calling"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the Holy Spirit's calling as the process of bringing people "out of darkness into God's marvelous light." This calling involves:
- Opening people's spiritual eyes to see the truth about God
- Bringing conviction of sin and showing people their true condition
- Revealing our mortality and the judgment that follows death
- Exposing our helplessness to save ourselves
- Revealing Christ as the answer to our spiritual need
Lloyd-Jones states: "The spirit of God is a powerful spirit. He can act upon the mind. He can enlighten it, he can open it, he can give it understanding. He can give it an ability that it formally lacked."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say people are in spiritual darkness?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several characteristics of spiritual darkness:
- People are "dead in trespasses and sins" and disconnected from God's life
- They live as if there is no God or purpose beyond this world
- They are spiritually ignorant, not knowing about the soul or spiritual realm
- They are focused only on material things: "Sea, sand, pleasures, drink, gambling, sex, money"
- They consider spiritual truths to be "foolishness" and "nonsense"
- They are victims of circumstances with no eternal perspective
Lloyd-Jones explains: "Why are men and women defeated by life? Why are men and women unhappy? Why are they afraid of tomorrow? Why are they afraid of death? Why is there all this uncertainty? The answer is that they're in darkness."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the Christian's assurance in the face of death?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the Christian can face death without fear because:
- They understand God's eternal purpose that was "planned before the foundation of the world"
- They recognize the historical facts of Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension
- They have experienced the Holy Spirit's transforming work in their lives
- They see themselves as "pilgrims of eternity" and "children of God"
- They have committed their souls to Christ's keeping
This is why Paul could write: "I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." The Christian has confidence not based on philosophy or positive thinking, but on God's revealed purpose in history.
What is the primary question Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks his listeners in this sermon?
The primary question Lloyd-Jones poses is: "Have you been called?" He repeatedly challenges his listeners to examine whether they have experienced the Holy Spirit's calling out of darkness into light. He asks pointed questions like:
- "What's your view of life tonight?"
- "What are you basing your life on?"
- "How do you look at tomorrow?"
- "Have you faced death? Have you faced what lies beyond?"
- "Is your life based on God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit?"
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this calling is not a matter of intellectual agreement but of spiritual transformation: "If these things are not everything to you tonight, and more than everything, well, then I tell you in the name of God, you're still in the darkness."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.